Classless

The Mets fired Manager Willie Randolph this morning in Los Angeles at 3 a.m. New York time, after a victory (the team's third in four games), much too late for the news to make any of the morning newspapers back home.

In retrospect, it seems clear this was a done deal long before the team crossed the country Sunday night. Details of the changes (a coach elevated to interim manager, two coaches fired, two minor league staffers promoted) had been leaked to some reporters before the weekend.

Yet Randolph was forced to keep a stiff upper lip, the axe hovering, fly to California and manage the team one more time before being unceremoniously dumped. (The announcement was made in a press release.)

Managers in baseball get fired all the time. Randolph hardly was untouchable. But the way in which he was canned was classless.

About Me

Ira Fusfeld is publisher emeritus of the Daily Freeman. He was publisher from 1987 to 2012. His blog offers commentary about the newspaper business and whatever else is on his mind. Ira began his daily newspaper career at the Freeman in 1970 as a sports writer. Prior to being named publisher, he was sports editor, editor and general manager. Ira also was publisher of Las Noticias, the Freeman's Spanish language weekly. In addition, he served as publisher of The Independent, Hillsdale, N.Y., and the Taconic Press weekly newspaper group, Millbrook, N.Y., which also produced Dutchess Magazine and the Hudson Valley Guide. He was named Publisher of the Year for 2001 by Journal Register Company. You can hear Ira on the Media Project on WAMC Northeast Public Radio (Sunday at 6 p.m., Monday at 3 p.m., or anytime on the Web at WAMC.org). Ira is a native of New York City. He and his wife, Eileen, reside in Woodstock, N.Y. They have two grown sons and two grandchildren.